# Buck — The Call of the Wild character guide > Buck in The Call of the Wild by Jack London. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Fang Buck, Dat Buck **First appearance:** 0002-i-into-the-primitive ## Snapshot A regal St. Bernard–Scotch Collie torn from a sunlit California estate and remade by the Yukon's merciless trail. ## Who they are Buck begins as king of Judge Miller's place, a hundred and forty pounds of dignity who has never known a club or a hungry night. Kidnapped and sold north, he learns the law of fang and trace, discovering in himself a ferocity and cunning that his civilized life never demanded. His slow awakening—from snow-buried terror to open revolt for the lead—drives the novel's central question of how far a domesticated creature can travel back toward the wild. ## Relationships ### [John Thornton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/john_thornton) _friendship_ Buck forms a deep, loving bond of loyalty and devotion with John Thornton, his final and most beloved master. ### [Spitz](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/spitz) _rivalry_ Buck and Spitz are fierce rivals competing for dominance as lead dog of the sled team, culminating in a deadly fight. ### [Manuel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/manuel) _psychological_ Manuel, the gardener's helper, betrays Buck by kidnapping and selling him for money, making Buck a victim of his greed. ### [Perrault](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/perrault) _professional_ Perrault is a capable and demanding musher who values Buck's strength and intelligence for the sled team's work. ### [Hal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/hal) _rivalry_ Hal is an abusive, incompetent owner who mistreats Buck and the other dogs, creating a hostile and antagonistic relationship. ### [The Judge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/the_judge) _family_ Buck lives as a pampered pet on Judge Miller's estate, enjoying a comfortable but distant master-pet relationship. ### [The Yeehats](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/the_yeehats) _rivalry_ The Yeehats are a Native American tribe who kill John Thornton, driving Buck to seek vengeance and become a wild wolf. ### [Dave](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/dave) _professional_ Dave is a stoic, hardworking sled dog who shares a professional respect with Buck as fellow team members. ### [Mercedes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/mercedes) _social_ Mercedes is a pampered, impractical woman who treats Buck as a burden and contributes to the team's suffering. ### [Pike](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/pike) _professional_ Pike is a sly, lazy sled dog who occasionally clashes with Buck but remains a teammate in the harness. ### [Skeet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/skeet) _friendship_ Skeet is a friendly Irish setter who becomes Buck's gentle companion at John Thornton's camp. ### [Nig](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/nig) _friendship_ Nig is a good-natured bloodhound who befriends Buck and shares a peaceful bond at Thornton's camp. ## In the story ### [The Call of the Wild](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/chapters/the-call-of-the-wild) Protagonist; undergoes transformation from domesticated pet to wild wolf. ### [Into the Primitive](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/chapters/i-into-the-primitive) The protagonist, a 140-pound dog living a pampered life as king of Judge Miller's estate, who is kidnapped and sold into the brutal world of the Klondike. ### [II: The Law of Club and Fang](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/chapters/ii-the-law-of-club-and-fang) Undergoes brutal initiation into the law of club and fang; learns to pull a sled and adapt to the North. ### [III: The Dominant Primordial Beast](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/chapters/iii-the-dominant-primordial-beast) Displays growing cunning and primordial strength; avoids fights but ultimately kills Spitz in a decisive battle. ### [Who Has Won to Mastership](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/chapters/iv-who-has-won-to-mastership) Assumes leadership of the team after killing Spitz, enforces discipline, and leads a record run to Skaguay. ### [The Toil of Trace and Trail](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/chapters/v-the-toil-of-trace-and-trail) Exhausted and starved, Buck is sold to Hal and Charles, then rescued by John Thornton. ### [For the Love of a Man](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/chapters/vi-for-the-love-of-a-man) Recovers strength, experiences passionate love for Thornton, performs feats of loyalty and strength. ### [VII: The Sounding of the Call](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/chapters/vii-the-sounding-of-the-call) Buck experiences the powerful call of the wild, hunts and kills a bear, fights wolverenes, and ultimately joins a wolf pack, becoming a legendary Ghost Dog. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters/buck - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_call_of_the_wild_se/characters